Vitamin E Premix
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin can be found commonly in four isomers: alpha, beta, gamma, and sigma. Among these, the alpha form has the highest biological activity and is produced in its pure form for use in supplement formulations and premixes.
Main Roles and Key Points:
The biological activity of this vitamin is based on its antioxidant activity. Natural food sources, particularly grains, provide rich sources of alpha and gamma tocopherols. However, requirement for this vitamin in animals raised under industrial conditions is significantly high due to their exposure to various stressful agents, making the addition of its active and pure form as a supplement essential.
This vitamin, in coordination with selenium, effectively protects body cells from oxidative damage. Selenium activates the enzyme” glutathione peroxidase”, which helps regenerate oxidized tocopherols, thereby enhancing the body’s antioxidant capacity. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant for lipid molecules, protects steroid hormones and supporting the effects of them, particularly in animals raised under adverse and challenging conditions. This is why we observe significant improvements in fertility and recovery from infectious diseases with the consumption of vitamin E-containing supplements.
Additionally, considering that cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, the use of these supplements stabilizes liver cell membranes, prevents vascular damage, and supports cardiovascular health. These protective effects also extend to the seminiferous tubules and semen, which are rich in unsaturated fats, thereby preserving fertility in male animals.
Furthermore, the role of this vitamin in the mitochondria, or the cell’s powerhouse, in maintaining and supplying coenzyme Q (ubiquinone) indicates its involvement in the aerobic metabolism of body cells, highlighting its critical role in energy production. Conversely, a deficiency in this vitamin is widely associated with the emergence of harmful oxidative effects, such as increased capillary permeability, edema with fluid accumulation in subcutaneous and visceral areas, muscle cell degradation, and brain damage—all stemming from a weakened antioxidant capacity. Reduced fertility, whether due to decreased biological lifespan of sex hormones or diminished lifespan and activity of sperm, is also a consequence of vitamin E deficiency.
Meeting Vitamin E Requirements and Challenges:
When examining the vitamin E requirements in scientific resources and nutritional tables for livestock and poultry, the needs range from 10 mg to 150 mg per kilogram of final feed. A challenging aspect of this is the necessity for optimal consumption; since this vitamin is fat-soluble, excessive intake can interfere with the absorption and utilization of other fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, and K.
Moreover, factors such as the level of oil used in diets, flock health, challenges from infectious diseases, the age of the animals, and physiological and production conditions all influence vitamin E requirements. Therefore, the minimum expected needs can be met through commonly available vitamin supplements, and the only way to address increased needs under specific flock conditions is to use vitamin E premixes in adequate amounts. The active vitamin E content in each kilogram of vitamin E premix is equivalent to 5500 mg, which can be adjusted to 1 to 2 kg per ton of complete poultry feed depending on flock conditions.
